5G rollout of ultrafast mobile broadband to reach 90% of the population by 2027

The vast majority of the UK population will be able to access to 5G technology within a decade, a new report predicts.

According to Cambridge Judge Business School, ultrafast mobile broadband will be available to 90 per cent of Britons by 2027.

However, the report said coverage is unlikely to reach the final ten per cent due to "exponentially increasing costs".

Furthermore, it pointed out that "varying annual capital intensity or deploying a shared small cell network can greatly influence the time taken to reach the 90 per cent threshold, with these changes mostly benefiting rural areas".

The report went on to stress that by simply integrating new and existing spectrum, it would be possible to create a network capable of achieving a 10Mbps facility for every person in rural areas.

This, it stated, would be comparable to the level outlined in the UK's current fixed broadband Universal Service Obligation.

Cambridge Judge Business School went on to advise policymakers to be "cautious regarding large headline speeds in rural areas".

"If these are desired politically, then financial support may be required," the report said.

"However, it may be more appropriate to focus on achieving near-ubiquitous coverage of a moderate level using spectrum resources to support the vertical industries that 5G will purportedly enable."

Cambridge Judge Business School said that unless a new "killer app" is developed in the next few years, it is likely that market-based 5G ultrafast broadband infrastructure will be largely limited to urban and suburban areas.

The report added that a timely rollout of 5G networks will become "increasingly important to achieve the productivity benefits desired by industrial policy, as well as dealing with digital divide issues".

uSwitch Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under firm reference number 312850. You can check this on the Financial Services Register by visiting the FCA website.